The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-03-16
AMID SHOT AND SHE'LL
rwo INCIDENTS OF GREAT PLUCK
AT GETTYSBURG.


Higgins, of Wsverly-'there goes a fel.
low whom saw do as nervy thing as
| witnessed while was in the service. y
The reporter looked across the street.
in the direction in which the Colonel
had nodded and saw Dick Enderlin plod
ding along, hands in pocket, in his mat
ter Of fact, Indifferent sort of way.
1T was at Gettysburg remarked the
Colonel, knocking the ashes from his
cigar. 'You probably knew that Dick
enlisted as a drummer boy. He was in
my company and he beat a drum for all
that was out; beat it so hard that you
couldn't find enough drum heads in the
army to keep him supplied, and a short
time before the Gettysburg fight he came
20 me for the sixth or seventh drum
head, and just gave him a gun. He
kicked little, but took it and made
pretty good use of it afterward, too. To-
ward the close Of the first DAYS fight at
Gettysburg, our regimental line was
stretched along the crest of a ridge,
adown the side of which was a field of
wheat almost ripe enough for the reaper.
Much of it had been cut that day and
more was destined to be cut on the NOR
row-cut by shot and shell and swept by
the musketry of the two armies. On the
opposite side of the field and but fright
fully short distance away, were the lines.
Twice that afternoon we had charged
across that wheat field in the effort to
drive the enemy from their position and
twice had we been driven back. leaving
many dead and wounded man among
the standing wheat. The wheat was so
fyh hat r6av, 1r-,v, 4 -
be seen by the enemy and for some time
before the charge was ordered we had
occupied the position described, keeping
up sharp fire on the enemy and receiv-
ing as good as we sent in return.
couldn't help being amused at Dick. In
order to save the men as much as posi-
BILE, 1 directed them to lie down TO do
their loading and only rise to deliver
their fire, but Dick insisted upon stand
ing up all the time. Three or four times
l yelled at him to keep under cover or
he would get hit, and he would attempt
to obey me. but in few minutes excite
ment would get the better of him and he
would be on his feet again, loading and
firing as rapidly as he could handle his
piece.
''When the sun had gone down and
the shades of night had checked the
firing considerably, several of US were
standing grouped together, looking out
over the field of wheat, wondering what
had been the result of the days work
and what would be the result of the
morrow, when we heard some wounded
man, way over in the wheat, groaning
terribly. His means were sickening to
listen to and it got so after a while that
couldn't stand it any longer. So, TAX
ing off my hsverssck, 1 handed 1t 10
Enderlin, who was standing by and re-
marked that was going after that fell
low. This, as every one knew, was a
pretty ticklish piece of business, for, al
though it was then night, the moon was
shining and at every rustic of the wheat,
that indicated the possibility of its
being moved by a human being,
the Johnnies would send their
musket and rife balls through
it in a way that made it very
unhealthy for any person that might be
concealed there. Still l resolved to
chance it, and getting down On my hands
and knees, began to worm my way
through the wheat in the direction of
the groans. l had gone but a few yards,
however, when felt some one grasp me
by the leg, and heard Dicks voice;
''Look here, Major he SAID, ''you
mustn't go out there. You might get
killed, and we can't spare you; let me
60"
"Why, don't believe you could get
the fellow in, Dick, replied; ''he is
probably hurt so bad that he has to be
carried, and 1 don't believe you could
carry man in that way and through
that wheat.n
's.Weu, you just come back and let me
try'it," said Dick, "Ill bet you that l
bring him in -
Saying which Dick bolted ahead,
worming his way through the wheat. as
carefully and cautiously as possible. so
as TO avoid attracting attention. while I
returned to the line and awaited results.
He was gone long time, so long that 1
began to grow uneasy, but finally he
made his appearance, crawling on his
stomach through the wheat and on his
back, with his arms clasped around his
necE, was a poor chap whose hip had
been shattered By a musket ball
Where did you ind him, Dick7''
asked him. as he lifted the poor fellow
OF his back
He was within a couple Of rods OF
the lines, was Dicks reply. as be
crawled 20 bis feet and stretched himself
after his long trip.
''Dick, said I s4you are a sergeant. 81
Of course I meant in embryo, for az thai
moment there was no vacancy. but there
were plenty Of them within twenty foul
hours.
There was another little incident
which occurred at the Gettysburg fight.
continued the Colonel. ''and that car,
directly under my observation, which
will illustrate pretty well the stuff tha
was in the men of 81 and '62. Their,
was an officer in the regiment by tn
name Of John II. Martin. He was
lieutenant then, and he is living at Wa
verify now. was standing in a group
OF which Martin was one, when lighte,
she'll came ricochetting across the felC
and stopped almost az our feet, the fus
still burning and burned almost down 7,
the she'll The situation was about q
critical as YOU can imagine and the gr0u1
began 10 scatter with a rauidity tha